EDI – an overview
Linda Sather
Cheryl Kolbe
Oregon State University
Office of the Registrar
Consultant
EDI – an overview
What is EDI?
 Why use it?
 How does it work?
 What does it take to implement?
 How much ongoing support is
required?
 Who in Oregon is using it?

Electronic Data
Interchange
EDI
Is the electronic transfer of
information between two
trading partner’s systems
using a set of transactions
that have been adopted as a
national or international
standard for the particular
business function.
The Transcript Trail
Print
Transcript
Re-key
Data
U.S. Mail
Receive
Transcript
Student
Information
System
Request
Transcript
Recipient’s
Student
Information
System
The Transcript Trail with
EDI
Print
Transcript
Re-key
Data
U.S. Mail
Receive
Transcript
Student
Information
System
EDI
Request
Transcript
Recipient’s
Student
Information
System
Why use it?
Oregon K-16 data transfer
system
College Admission &
Placement Profile
The College Admission and
Placement Profile (CAPP)

Electronically transfers traditional high
school transcript elements, state
assessment data, and other data
indicating student proficiency from
Oregon school districts to Oregon's
community colleges and the Oregon
University System campuses.
The College Admission and
Placement Profile (CAPP)
 High school counselors/registrars can
electronically send data on an individual
student to many institutions for use in
college admission and/or placement.
K-16 Integrated Data Transfer System
OREGON
STUDENT
RECORD
K-12 Server
OREGON
STUDENT
RECORD
K-12 Server
Secure FTP or
HTTPS
Program to translate
OSR to EDI Formatted
File
Batch Program to
Transmit EDI
formatted file to UT
EDI server
Secure
FTP
SPEEDE/ExPRESS
data processing
Secure FTP or
EMAIL
Post Secondary EDI
Client Machine
OREGON
STUDENT
RECORD
OUS VMS Server
K-12 Server
)
ps
University of Texas EDI Server
What it takes to use EDI
EDI server
 Internet access
 Translation & mapping software
 Staffing
 Registration
 Encryption software

Your EDI Server



Install translation &
mapping software on
stand-alone machine or
on an existing server.
Old, spare pc works
great for EDI.Smart
Trusted Link software
requires Windows 95 or
better
Internet Access
Software

Buy it off the shelf

EDI.Smart
• Partner Sungard SCT

Quick ‘n’ Easy
• Freeware
• Receive & Print

Inovis Trusted Link
• Partner Datatel



Mercator Integration
Broker
AXIOM
Write your own

Univ. of Maryland
Registration

Univ. of Texas –
Austin

Internet EDI server
• Free
• 1 e-mail
• Receive reply with
username &
password
Security

Encryption software


Optional
What’s available


sftp to/from UT server
PGP
• Freeware


RSA security
CryptoHeaven
Communications with
U.T.Austin
Your
FTP Server
U.T. Austin
Server
Other Universities,
Colleges & High Schools
Your
EDI
Server
EDI & Banner at OSU
OSU’s FTP
drop point
U.T. Austin
Server
OSU’s
EDI.Smart
Server
Banner SHREDIR
& SHREDIP
Processes
OSU’s Banner
download Area
Other Universities,
Colleges & High
Schools
OSU’s
Banner System
Banner SHREDIY
Process
EDI & Trusted Link at CCC
CCC’s FTP
drop point
U.T. Austin
Server
CCC’s
Trusted Link
Server
Datatel EITP
Process
CCC’s Datatel
download Area
Other Universities,
Colleges & High
Schools
CCC’s
Datatel System
Datatel STRQ
Process
Staffing

Installation & Mapping

Registrar’s office and Admissions office
• Functional/Technical manager

IT
• Systems Analyst/Programmer Analyst

Daily Operation


Office Specialist/Transcript Staff
Maintenance

Same as Installation & Mapping
Implementation Timeline

To be ready to test with a partner



2 – 3 months
Speed process by sharing information
between institutions
Testing with trading partners


Approx. 2 weeks each (in real world)
Develop good sample pack of transcripts
Testing Issues




Review all modifications to your transcript
print process
Known issues with your software
Process differences (paper vs. EDI)
Confidentiality/FERPA
Additional Test Cases







Two or more transfer institutions
Multiple degrees
Repeated courses
Student with Holds
Old courses, all grade codes
In-progress courses
Ungraded and graded in same term
EDI Transcripts in Oregon
by Sender 2004
5000
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
LBCC
OSU
PCC
PSU
UO*
LBCC
OSU
PCC
*UO began receiving in July
EDI Transcripts in Oregon
Trades January – April, 2005
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
EDI Transcripts in Oregon





Total transcripts traded in Oregon in 2004
is 11,118
Average = 927 per month
3 institutions are sending
5 institutions are receiving
At least 4 institutions are now in the
process of implementing EDI

Chemeketa CC, Clackamas CC, Lane CC,
Southern Oregon U.
EDI or XML
What is XML?
 Characteristics of EDI
 Characteristics of XML
 Is EDI going away?

Extensible Markup
Language
XML
Is a dynamic trading
language that enables
applications to flexibly,
intelligently & cost efficiently
exchange information. XMLbased EDI is well suited to
use over the Internet.
Characteristics of EDI




Provides standardized rigid format
 American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) EDI standards (X12)
 Stability and uniformity
High level of security
Point-to-point integration
Exchanges large amounts of data with no
intervention
Characteristics of EDI






Requires dedicated EDI server
Minimizes file size in the exchange
Machine decipherable (difficult for a
person to read)
Focus on data and structure
Not web based
Many trading partners available
Characteristics of XML


Transacts over existing internet
Focus on syntax and graphics



A way to format & manipulate text
Very large file size



Developed for graphic representations
Less efficient transmission
A cousin to HTML
New, hot technology; easy to learn
Characteristics of XML




Approved Version 1.0.0 by the
Postsecondary Electronic Standards
Committee in April 2004
UT Austin Server supports PESC XML
standard
XML users cannot trade with EDI users
(crosswalk is being developed)
Man and machine decipherable (easy to
read by humans; not as secure)
Is EDI going away?
NO
There are benefits of both EDI and
XML. One significant factor in favor
of EDI is that our current trading
partners are using EDI.
Benefits of EDI







More Secure than paper
Cost savings
Acknowledgements from receiving
institution
Speed
Easy partner exchange each term
Automated transfer articulation
Small file size
Perspectives




Server issues
All technological systems need upgrades
Staff training
Interface with your student software
system



Move from SSN to generated ID
Web transcript requests
Who owns EDI processing?
EDI on the Web
AACRAO EDI in Education: general introduction to EDI
technology http://www.aacrao.org/speede/index.htm
Quick ‘n’ Easy SPEEDE: includes the software, implementation
guide, and FAQ’s
http://www.utexas.edu/student/giac/speede/spaacrao/
Univ. of Texas-Austin EDI Server: includes registration how to, list
of participants, and FAQ’s
http://www.utexas.edu/student/giac/speede/ediserv.html
MIT Distribution Center: download the freeware version of PGP
6.5.8 http://web.mit.edu/network/pgp.html
EDI on the Web (more)
Beginner’s Guide to PGP: step-by-step instructions for installing &
using PGP http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/pgp/
EDI.Smart Discussion List: listserv for Banner schools
listserv@sct.com
Conferences:
AACRAO Technology Conference (encompassing EDI and
XML) October 9 - 11 in Atlanta, GA
http://www.aacrao.org/tech05/index.htm
Questions?
Linda Sather
Cheryl Kolbe
linda.sather@oregonstate.edu
kolbec@earthlink.net